Air driven pump

ABSTRACT

An air driven pump having a vane-type pump connected to a brushtype impeller which is rotated by air striking the bristles of the brush at an angle tangential to the periphery thereof and thereby causing said vane to pump fluids without the use of electricity or other spark generating devices which could ignite flammable fluids.

D United States Patent [191 Albertson Feb. 26, 1974 [5 AIR DRIVEN PUMP 985,537 2/1911 OMalley 417/406 1,041,634 101912 K' 1 .417 406 [76] Inventor: Robe" 2100 1 066,309 711913 192 1516 41 5/76 ShadOWOOd y Minn- 1,927,376 9/1933 Schroder et a1. 416/240 55337 2,922,489 1/1960 Hollingsworth 416/240 2,997,847 8/1961 Hollingsworth 1 416/240 [22] 1972 3,234,961 2 1966 A16 8 137/577 121 App]. No.2 280,506

Primary Examiner-C. .I. I-lusar 52 us. c1 417/406, 415/90, 416/228, or 5 416/240 [51] Int. Cl. F04b 17/00 [57] ABSTRACT I581 F-eld of Search 3935373 93 2 An driven pump having a meme pump nected to a brush-type impeller which is rotated by air striking the bristles of the brush at an angle tangential [56] References Cited to the periphery thereof and thereby causing said vane UNITED STATES PATENTS to pump fluids without the use of electricity or other 876,152 1/1908 Douds 417/406 spark generating devices which could ignite flammable 1,182,212 5/1916 Ruchti 416 240 fl id 3,441,052 4/1969 Schilling 137/517 913,592 2/1909 Ware 417/406 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Am DRIVEN PUMP I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are on the market today various types of parts cleaners which use liquid solvents that are flammable. Any electrically driven pumps used with these cleaners must be of the type which are sealed to prevent sparks from igniting the solvent. Because of the expense involved with such se'aled units, large scale use of the units is prohibited. Air driven pumps and hydraulic pumps used in an effort to overcome the deficiency set forth above have not been successful because of expense or noise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an air-driven fluid pump that produces no sparks, is simple to construct and is inexpensive to manufacture and economical to purchase. It comprises a vane-type pump directly coupled to a brush-type impeller. The impeller wheel is constructed of strands of wire or fibers or bristles, such as those on a scrub brush or on a brush for polishing shoes. Compressed air is directed against the bristles or brush at an angle tangential to the periphery of the impeller wheel. The pump is silent in operation and yet is very efficient. Further, no sparks are produced and therefore it can be used with flammable fluids. A check valve is placed in the input orifice receiving air to compensate for varying air pressure at different locations where the pump. may be used. A calibrated spring is placed behind the ball valve. As the air pressure increases, the ball valve is moved against the spring towards the orifice thereby reducing the amount of air allowed through the orifice to impinge on the periphery of the bristle-type impeller wheel. Thus, damage to the bristles due to high air pressure is minimized.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an air driven pump of the type that does not produce sparks and therefore can be used with flammable fluids.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an air driven pump that is not only economical and safe but that is quiet in operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an air driven pump wherein the impeller wheel is constructed of fibers such as bristles, which wheel is driven by an air source striking said bristles at an angle tangential to the periphery thereof.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an air-driven fluid pump that has a ball check in the air inlet source to protect the impeller wheel from excessive air pressures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other more detailed objects of the present invention will be disclosed in relation to the attached drawings in which like numerals represent likeobjects and in which:

FIG. 1 is a basic representation of the air-driven fluid Pump;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the pump vane attached to the impeller wheel and FIG. 3 is a top view of the brush-type impeller wheel and its associated housing showing the input orifice and the ball-type check valve therein for protecting said wheel from excessive air pressure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention which is an air-driven fluid pump that is economical to construct, quiet in operation and safe for use with flammable fluids in such operations as parts cleaners wherein liquid solvents under pressure are used to clean grease and other oily deposits from automotive and other mechanical parts.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, tank or container 2 holds a supply of liquid solvent 4 in which is immersed a pump unit generally designated by the numeral 6. Pump unit 6 is old and well known in the art and comprises a housing 8 in which a vane 10 is located. Attached to vane 10 to provide motive power is shaft 12. As vane 10 is rotated at a high rate of speed by shaft 12, it picks up fluid which enters housing 8 by parts not shown and is forced into outlet hose 14 where it can be used as a cleaning solvent under pressure to wash parts as set forth above. As previously indicated, vane-type pump units are old and well known in the art and so a detailed description thereof has not been given.

Motive power is applied to shaft 12 herein in a unique and novel manner. A brush-type impeller wheel 16 is located with impeller wheel housing 18. It has been found that a wire wheel normally used for buffing metal parts can be used as the impeller wheel 16 although a whining noise is associated with it. Further under prolonged use, wires work loose and bind the impeller so that it does not want to turn. Excellent results have been obtained when constructing the impeller wheel of bristles such as those used on a scrub brush or on a brush for polishing shoes. Air is forced under pressure into the impeller housing at an angle substantially tangential to the periphery of the brush-type impeller and turns the impeller at a high rate of speed. The vanetype pump 6 is attached through shaft 12 directly to the brush-type impeller wheel and, since the vane 10 is located in housing 8, it picks up liquid solvent 4 and pumps it through hose 14 in normal fashion to an outlet 20.

Because many service stations (where parts cleaners are located) use an air compressor which has air pressure greater than needed to drive the impeller wheel 16 and which, in fact, could damage the bristles on the impeller wheel 16, a ball-type check valve 22 is located in the input nozzle 24 to which the air supply is connected. Check valve 22 comprises a ball 26 which is smaller in diameter than the nozzle chamber in which it rests but is large enough to block the air supply if the air pressure is too great and the pressure of spring 28 is overcome. This operation will be shown in detail with relation to FIG. 3 herein.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view that shows the heart of the brush-type pump with brush-type impeller 16 directly connected to vane 10 by shaft 12. Vane 10 may obviously consist of a plurality of vanes instead of just one 1 as shown.

26 and ball 26 is held away from orifice 30 by spring 28. Normally the air pressure entering nozzle 24 at inlet end 32 goes around ball 26, which is smaller in diameter than chamber 34, and enters housing 18 through orifice 30. In the event that the air pressure supply is so great that damage can occur to impeller wheel 16, the air pressure moves ball 26 back against spring 28 compressing spring 28 and partially blocking orifice 30 thus regulating the maximum amount of air that can enter housing 18. The size and type of spring 28 is chosen to properly regulate the air pressure needed. Ball 26 is held in chamber 34 by a plug 36 or snap-ring or any other well known manner.

Thus a novel and unique air-driven fluid pump has been disclosed which can be used to pump flammable fluids since no electrical sparks are present yet which is efficient, economical to construct and quiet in operation. The disadvantages of the prior art are thus overcome by the present invention.

It is understood that suitable modification may be made in the structure as disclosed provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now, therefore, fully illustrated and described my invention,

what l claim to be new and desire to protect by letters patent is:

1. An air driven pump assembly comprising:

a. a vane-type fluid pump,

b. a brush-type impeller wheel adapted to be rotate by air pressure and 0. means coupling said impeller wheel to said pump. 2. An air-driven fluid pump comprising:

a. a fluid pump,

b. a brush-type impeller wheel coupled to said pump and c. a housing about said impeller wheel for directing an air supply against said wheel at an angle substantially tangential to the periphery thereof whereby said impeller wheel is rotated thus driving said fluid pump.

3. An air driven pump as in claim 2 further including:

a. an air nozzle integrally formed with said housing and b. a pressure regulating device in said nozzle for regulating the maximum amount of air pressure that can be directed against said wheel.

4. An air driven pump as in claim 3 wherein said pressure regulating device comprises:

a. a chamber in said nozzle having an inlet end and an impeller housing outlet end,

b. a ball having a diameter less than the inlet end of said chamber but greater than the outlet end and c. resilient means disposed between said ball and said outlet end holding said ball away from said outlet end but allowing said ball to move towards said outlet end under increasing air pressure against said ball whereby the maximum amount of air passing through said outlet end is limited. 

1. An air driven pump assembly comprising: a. a vane-type fluid pump, b. a brush-type impeller wheel adapted to be rotated by air pressure and c. means coupling said impeller wheel to said pump.
 2. An air-driven fluid pump comprising: a. a fluid pump, b. a brush-type impeller wheel coupled to said pump and c. a housing about said impeller wheel for directing an air supply against said wheel at an angle substantially tangential to the periphery thereof whereby said impeller wheel is rotated thus driving said fluid pump.
 3. An air driven pump as in claim 2 further including: a. an air nozzle integrally formed with said housing and b. a pressure regulating device in said nozzle for regulating the maximum amount of air pressure that can be directed against said wheel.
 4. An air driven pump as in claim 3 wherein said pressure regulating device comprises: a. a chamber in said nozzle having an inlet end and an impeller housing outlet end, b. a ball having a diameter less than the inlet end of said chamber but greater than the outlet end and c. resilient means disposed between said ball and said outlet end holding said ball away from said outlet end but allowing said ball to move towards said outlet end under increasing air pressure against said ball whereby the maximum amount of air passing through said outlet end is limited. 